Wisconsin T-Zone

[ladydiehard]

Any Wisconsin hunters around? If so, will you be out for the early T-Zone? Will you be trying to "earn your buck" or simply looking to fill your freezer with some good doe meat?

I'm preparing to head north early Wed morning and hope to "earn my buck" so I don't have to worry about that when the regular season rolls around in a few weeks. It may be just a doe hunt but I'm still excited and watching the clock here at work!

[c_lou]

I also don't plan on hunting the T-Zone. I got a doe early in the bow season. Like Bucktails I will be out with avengence the next weekend.

[Chrud]

It's hard to say. Maybe Saturday or Sunday. I'm not a real big fan of the T-Zone though. I think it really screws up the rut, for daytime deer movement.

[bulldawg]

I'll be out for meat, again.

[Mathews XT Man]

Exactly CHRUD!!! We are just agian mow seeing the big boys, and here comes that stupid T zone to put em nocturnal on us!

[Finn]

I'll be up there with my son, brother and nephew shooting a couple does.

Is it legal to shoot a buck with a bow if you're not in a T-zone unit?

I'm heading to Price County, 20 miles west of Tomahawk. Anyone close to me?

[Chrud]

I told my brother that, Martin, and he still insists on bringing in a fireing squad to shoot the does. If anything, I'll just put on my orange vest and bowhunt.

You know, a lot of people say "bowhunting is the way to go!" So, why ruin the best bowhunting by taking the gun for 4 days, when you can only shoot does? Just throw on some orange and do the bowhunt.

[ladydiehard]

Well, I don't mean to sound harsh but...

Every year this topic comes up and its always the bowhunters complaining about "their" hunt being ruined by the T-Zone. I'm sorry but I have no sympathy. The bow season is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG, the gun season is short. Bowhunters have the advantage in regards to time. I want MEAT in my freezer and I like to gun hunt. I also don't want "my" regular gun season chances at a buck messed up because I haven't "earned my buck" yet. And I repeat, I like to gun hunt. Its a personal choice.

To be quite honest, the bowhunters in the area I hunt mess things up for the gun hunters. They stomp all over, trespass, cause the deer to change their patterns, put out illegal amounts of bait, ride around on 4 wheelers, cut firewood during gun season...a real classy bunch they are. And they certainly aren't going to shoot any does!

Bowhunters don't kill enough does to keep the buck/doe ratio where it should be. And many gun hunters won't shoot does thus we have T-Zones and Earn A Buck to try to get the herd where it needs to be.

Perhaps things are different in the area you hunt. But I speak from YEARS of experience in unit 65B, Waupaca county, farmland galore, and way too many does.

Perhaps John Kerry will be elected president and ban all our guns. Then the bowhunters will be happy!

[Chrud]

I wouldn't care if it was in the end of September or October. What really ruins "our" bowhunting is that this is the time of year that we as bowhunter live for, the end of October, the beginning of November, THE RUT! This is our best chance at a buck. Not just any buck, but a BIG BUCK! Big bucks are on the move all day for about 4 or 5 days. This is what we live for. And with this T-Zone right before it should kick off, it makes the deer very nocturnal.

Trust me. Before I took up bowhunting I thought that the T-Zone was the greatest thing. Now, I hate it. If you were a bowhunter, you'd agree. But, since the rut is usually long over before the gun season, you wouldn't really know just how intense the rut is, and why we live for it (and dislike the T-Zone) the way we do.

In my opinion, 9 days is plenty for gun. You've got muzzleloader right after it. Combine them and you've got 19 days of firearm hunting. We bowhunt from September to January, but we live for this next week.

Also, as far as does. We buy a lot of bonus tags. We live for that one buck of a lifetime, but we are thrilled to fill up that freezer with does. The only way I pass on a doe is if I don't have a good shot opportunity. If it's a clear shot, 40 yards or closer, it's dead. I might lay off during the rut, but thats it.

Try not baiting. My brother hasn't seen as many deer as I have. He baits and I don't, right now. I wouldn't blame bowhunters for this either. Deer move a lot better during bowhunting that gunhunting. If you don't bowhunt, I highly suggest you try it. Guaranteed you'll see things in a similar light that we do.

I just feel that myself and Martin (Oneida Man), who are bowhunters, really agree on why we don't like this. I know I'll be throwing on orange and doing some bowhunting this weekend.

[Addct2hntng]

I agree chrud but with a buck tag and being able to fill it in cwd zone by my work I gotta go out thursday mourning but I will be bowhunting in my other spot that is non tzone or cwd this weekend . I like gun but prefer bow and wish they would end these cwd and tzone gun hunts they no good in my opionion if they want deer tagged keep the guns out of the woods until normal gun season 9 days is enuff for gun I think ..

GOOD LUCK to all going out this weekend bow or gun!

[Chrud]

I would rather see them have a 5 day (Monday - Friday) T-Zone right after muzzleloader.

[Finn]

Can you use your T-zone tag on a doe during the regular gun season?

[Chrud]

If you kill it in a T-Zone, yes. And, you can use it with a bow also.

[ladydiehard]

Well I hope everyone had good luck during the T-Zone whether by bow or gun.

I shot two does, one for myself and another for another member of my group. In the end, there were 4 of us hunting and we took out 4 does.

With our "bucks earned", we anxiously await the regular season!

[Finn]

Congrats on the does and good luck on the 20th!